Lord, make me to know the excellencies of Christ's glory, and the depths of his humiliation. Though he dwelt in the bosom of the Father, and inhabited the praises of eternity, and exercised the powers of the Godhead, yet he took upon him our sinful nature, was born in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; and was buried, and continued under the power of death for a time. Teach me that he was thus made sin for me, that I might be made the righteousness of God in him. O God, show me that though he thus gave his life a ransom for many, still there is none who can have redemption through his blood, without the convincing, renewing, and sanctifying power of thy grace. Lord, make me know my sin, and my need of a Saviour; dispose me to turn away from all my transgressions, and to lay hold of the hope set before me in the gospel. Lord, impress on my heart the features of Christ's lovely and perfect character. May I learn of him who was meek and lowly, kind and patient, obedient and forgiving, wise and holy. Let the same mind which was in him be also in me. Show me that he is glorified in the bodies and spirits of them whom thou hast given to him; and that if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his. May the grace which has brought salvation, teach me to deny ungodliness and to work righteousness; that his image, destroyed by the fall, may be rerenewed in me, and that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in my mortal flesh. God of Grace, excite my faith in this blessed Saviour, by clear visions of that heavenly glory which he has prepared for those that love him. O, thanks be unto thy name, thou hast not only redeemed thy saints from the wretched dominion of sin and the fearful penalties of guilt, but thou hast given them thine unfailing promise, that they shall go into life eternal, and dwell before thy throne, and serve thee day and night in thy temple. Lord, grant that through his merits, an entrance may be ministered unto me, abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Merciful Father, persuade the ungodly, who are rejecting the Saviour, that without his atoning righteousness their souls must endure the perdition of eternal death; while through his blood they may have remission of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified. Reconcile them unto thyself, through him; not imputing their trespasses unto them. O dispose them to join with fulness of heart, that heavenly anthem, which heralded his birth in our nature-" Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace, good-will towards men!" CHURCH. Great Shepherd of Israel, I thank thee that thou hast established thy church on the earth, and hast put the seal of thy redeeming grace on it, and hast promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I would praise thee that he who is thy fulness, has been made head over all things to his church, which is his body, and which he has redeemed by his blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Lord, dispose me to sustain all the relations which I bear to thy heritage. Suffer me not to withdraw, in any degree, from the fellowship of the saints, in their profession of faith in the Lord Jesus. Thou hast commanded that fellowship; thou hast adapted it to our social nature; thou hast made it the stream of our consolation, the wall of our safety, and the field of our usefulness. May I love to seek thy face in the tabernacles of the righteous, and to worship thee there in spirit and in truth. May I cherish the reputation and welcome the instructions, and encourage the labours of those whom thou hast set to minister in holy things. Lead me, O Lord, to seek the interest of thy church, in its purity, peace, knowledge, and universal dominion. Lord, cause all thy people to strive for the welfare of Zion. May they mourn over her desolations, and rejoice when her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth. Baptize them by one spirit, into one body; and make them all one in Christ Jesus. May they feel deeply humbled at their want of personal holiness, and at their neglect in extending the blessings of salvation to a perishing world. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity. May the sons of God be blameless, and harmless, and without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation; among whom may they shine, as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life. Make them a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Let utterance be given to them, that they may open their mouths boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel. Let not the ingratitude nor hostility of sinners discourage their efforts to win them to thy service. May they have the pleasure of seeing thy work prospering in their hands, and multitudes added to their number, of such as shall be saved., let the time to Arise, and have mercy on Zion: favour her, yea, the set time come. from the wilderness, leaning on her make her the perfection of beauty. enemy comes in like a flood, do thou lift up a standard against him. Be thou as a wall of fire round about her, and a glory in the midst of her. Hast thou not purchased her with thy blood; and wilt thou not grave her on the palms of thy hands, and set her walls continually before thee? O, King of Kings, do thou marshal, and discipline, and strengthen, and multiply the sacramental host, and lead it on conquering and to conquer, until the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. CITIES. Heavenly Father, remember in special mercy, I beseech thee, the cities of this land, and of the world. It was in such that Christ sought continually, in the days of his ministry on earth, to proclaim his words of life. And it was to such that his apostles resorted, when commanded to go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. O Lord, there thou hast poured out, from generation to generation, the most copious effusions of thy Holy Spirit; and hast built up many, very many, churches in the beauty of holiness. Gracious God, excite an earnest solicitude in the hearts of the pious, on behalf of our populous places. May they realize that in these dwell the potent influences of wealth, intelligence, commerce, and numbers, which control the wide country for good or evil; and that out of them go streams that poison or heal the veins of social life throughout the land. Teach thy people that there are the strongholds of vice, where the adversary of souls stations his choicest legions, and establishes his dominion in the nation. Show them that if his power could be subverted in the midst of these crowded marts, his sceptre would be broken, and his throne be shaken to its foundations. O God, make thy followers appreciate the facilities that are there afforded for procuring the triumph of the gospel. In these thou hast gathered a large proportion of the human race, and hast put their dwellers within the reach of Christian exertion for their salvation. There thou hast planted the institutions of religious benevolence, which, like trees of life, are shedding their leaves for the healing of the nations. And Lord, the wealth of our cities can furnish the means, and their numbers the men, that shall carry to all the earth's inhabitants the messages of mercy. Lord, bless all the instrumentalities that are now employed for the conversion of these places. Bring all their youthful population into Sabbath-schools, and into the nurture of the Lord. May personal Christian effort be brought to bear, in prayerful reliance on thy help, on every impenitent heart. Increase and give universal application to the power of the Christian ministry: and roll on the chariot of thy gospel amidst these dense congregations of life, until each place shall shadow forth the holiness and joy of that city, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God! |